Why Ruin What Was Working, Walgreens?

As a Walgreens employee, the reason this is happening really depends
on where your Walgreens is in the country, if you have a drop off
window even available, and the pharmacy manager at the location.

If your Walgreens is in Florida, Arizona, and I believe Texas,
Walgreens is testing a new program which I'm sure they want to bring
company wide where all next day prescriptions are filled at a separate
company run facility and mailed to the store the next morning, so only
waitign and same day needed presciptions filled at the pharmacy. This
means they are staffing all of the pharmacies in those areas with MUCH
LESS staff. Some of the stores have walled over and completely shut
down the drop off window because there are rarely ever enough people
to work the windows anymore because usually the new pilot stores have
just 2 people working at any given time (1 pharmacist, 1 technician).
It is a cost saving measure from the company, putting patient care
aside, in my opinion.

If your Walgreens is not a part of the new system and do still have a
drop off window, there is no rule that they can not use it. If you
feel as if your wait times have dramatically increased just to drop
off or even pick up, ask to speak to the manager. Shutting down the
window could be understood if it were on a weekend or near closing
time where only a few people are left on the shift, however not at
busy times. If there is enough staff, it should be open. There are
always new stores opening around my area and I like to check how they
build the pharmacy to see if they are in fact phasing out the drop off
window. I've found that I'm simply not sure. A store that opened
about a year ago did not have a drop off window and one that opened
recently a few months back DOES. So I'm not really sure what is going
on.

One other possibility of closing off the window could be through the
pharmacy managers liking. There are 2 workflows that most Walgreens
use to process prescriptions. The classic, well-liked workflow
consists of the drop off window tech taking in and typing your rx.
Then, after the pharmacist reviews, the filler will get your rx
together and wait for the pharmacist to bag. Lastly, after the
pharmacist bags, the pick up counter technician sells the
prescription.

However, the new system, which is becoming more popular, yet not well
liked by customers nor employees, works in a whole new way. When you
drop off, you have to wait in 1 line where half the people may be
picking up and also buying a cart full of items, which means you're
potentially waiting 10 or more minutes JUST to drop off. Then you
must wait for it to actually be filled. Where you drop off is not the
only difference. What you do not see is that actual rx work is
backwards as well. Now all prescriptions must be entered into the
system by the pick-up counter technician. This is hard because there
are frequently long lines, leaving poor customer service. I say there
may be poor customer service because now this technician must
correctly type the prescription and rectify insurance issues IN
BETWEEN customers in line. The drop off technician now becomes soley a
filler.

At the end of the day, both systems work but the latter is much more
frustrating all around. The out window technician is 10 times more
likely to be nasty to patients because they are taking in
prescriptions, entering prescription, selling prescriptions, redoing
insurance, answering the phone, and getting drive thru. The only
possible explanation I see for the switch to be suggested to managers
by corporate is to prepare them for the pilot being used in Florida
and Arizona where there on only 2 employees on staff, forcing them man
the pharmacy this way.

Well put! I live in Florida as well. I am ready to yank all of my
prescriptions and transfer them to a small neighborhood pharmacy where
the people know me by my first name and I can get a script filled in
15 minutes.

Walgreens is going to put themselves out of business fi they are not
careful. Their new phone/internet refill system is a disaster. I
have placed numerous calls with the regional manager and have only
gotten promises that it would be corrected shortly.

In a time when businesses REALLY need customer loyalty in order to
survive our financial mess, you would think that Walgreens (as well as
others) would strive harder to make the customer happy.

As a follow up to my original posting, I needed another prescription
and had hoped Walgreens would have gone back to the "two line" system.
However, the "Drop Off" window was again closed (it was a busy
Saturday right before Christmas) and even though I didn't have to wait
as long as last time, it still seems to me that the "Drop Off" and
"Pick Up" lines should be differentiated. I still had to wait about 15
minutes to drop off an RX and waited about the same amount of time to
pick up. I wish Walgreens would reconsider this rediculous policy and
go back to the old Drop Off and Pick Up windows. I know many people
are switching their RX's to Publix now because of this situation. It's
easier to drop off at Publix, do your food shopping and then pick up
the RX before you check out. I think I may be joining those who are
doing this. I feel badly about doing it but I can't stand in line for
both pick up an drop off every time I need something at Walgreens.

Good letter. This is not the way to work a pharmacy. Whoever thought
of this needs to review HIPPA laws and make the lines separate and a
sign about standing a few feet behind the person at the counter
conversing with the pharmacist/pharm tech.

I was at walmart the other day and they have a sign up about not
buying crap at their registers unless it is their prescription or
other medications in that dept. I don't know if it was the pharmacists
idea or walmarts idea to post the sign but I had to laugh that it even
needs to be posted.

I totally agree with what you are saying about Walgreens. As a former
Walgreen from Portage, MI, they do it to cut back on staff. Meaning
two windows 2 employees. Now they only have to pay 1 to do the job of
2. Makes sense, right? NOOOOOOOOO They seem that all employees are
able to multi-task very good in which alot of people cant even walk
and chew gum at the same time. Had with Walgreens in the way they
treat their customers and their employees. Finally realize that time
with my family is much more important than Walgreens time. I may not
have a job, but tell you what, I am a much happier person.

I dont think this is a company wide change. I was just at Walgreens
yesterday to drop off some scripts for my sister and there was the
drop off window and the further down was the pick up area and cash
registers.

Maybe its just something they did for Christmas for some odd reason??

I totally agree with you. As a pharmacy tech, I do not think this was
a bright idea. When you had 2 separate windows, you definitely knew
who was dropping off and picking up. With the windows combined,
there's supposed to be 2 separate lines but no one knows where to
stand so it's total chaos. Not to mention, there's no sort of patient
privacy. I really believe that whoever came up with this idea does not
work in a pharmacy.

I also know that not all pharmacies are doing this. Some are and some
aren't. I truly wish we could go back the old way because the old way
works and things run more efficiently.

And as far as folks wanting have other items rung up, I TOTALLY agree
with you. I can understand a few things, especially if they're
medically related, but folks get carried away. Ringing up a cartload
of stuff takes away time from filling prescriptions and it can
increase wait times especially if there's a problem with things not
ringing up correctly or coupon problems. Not only that, I think it's
completely rude and selfish for people to do that. When you're not
feeling well, the last thing you want to do is wait in line for 15
minutes because some fruit loop is complaining that the peanut butter
is supposed to be on sale.

I'm really glad that you brought these things up to corporates
attention and I truly hope that the more customers complain about it,
something will be done about it.

Do we know if it is a permanent change (i.e., has happened more than
once) as opposed to something that might have been needed on a single
day due to staffing issues? Just wondering....

The drop off window has not been eliminated. Not by any means. The
two major reasons why there was not a seperate drop off window are
time of day/number of employees. I've always considered customers who
purchase a cart load of unrelated pharmacy items to be inconsiderate
dolts.

I understand why you would be upset with this change, but it occurs to
me that when I used to obtain my mom's prescriptions, there was only
one line (a place called Drug Fair).

It's funny - I can remember waiting 5-10 minutes for help but it never
occurred to me they might have two lines. At the same time, I can
picture all they places I have seen that have two lines. I suppose it
depends on whether they can justify two CSR's. This is good feedback.

I'm guessing they did this so they only need one person manning the
counter instead of two people. I'd be annoyed as well that my
drop-off required me to wait behind people with more high-maintenance
needs/requests. And given the line at the pharmacy, they shouldn't
allow people to make non-pharm purchases there.